


Catch the Light

by Reclusive_Unicorn



Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-09
Updated: 2014-05-09
Packaged: 2018-01-24 02:28:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1588295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reclusive_Unicorn/pseuds/Reclusive_Unicorn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A prompt from tumblr: Tony throws joint ‘happy 97th birthday’ party for Steve and Bucky, after Bucky joins the team.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Catch the Light

**Author's Note:**

> prompt from tumblr user [rohnoc](http://rohnoc.tumblr.com/). Tony throws joint ‘happy 97th birthday’ party for Steve and Bucky, after Bucky joins the team aka an excuse for me to write about Steve covered in glitter.

There was loud remixed music from the forties and bright lights and women that looked like they belonged on the covers of fashion magazines. The air reeked of alcohol and off in the distance he could hear the combined laughter of Thor and Tony as they knocked back drink after drink after drink. Bucky tries not to crack the glass that’s holding his own liquor with his grip and resolutely avoids anyone that looks like they’re even thinking of coming up to him to wish him a happy birthday or initiate small talk. Ever since Tony’s opening speech full of well wishes to kick the party into swing he’s been glued to one of the far off walls away from the crowds. Watching as Steve, ever the polite boy his mother raised him to be, go the rounds of thanking people for attending  the party, and the saying about old habits flares up in Bucky’s mind when he catches himself sizing up every unrecognizable face that so much as breathes in Steve’s direction. 

It takes a while for Steve to get to him, though, what with every woman on Earth stopping him along the way to talk to the _illustrious_ Captain America. Bucky doesn’t know if he should be amused or roll his eyes at the fact that Steve still can’t look a pretty girl in the eye for more than .05 seconds without getting all bashful about it. There’s been a steady stream of glitter coming from the ceiling vents that Bucky has been able to avoid thanks to his little hiding spot by the wall, and by the time Steve does manage to make it to him the sight causes Bucky to suck in a stuttered breath. 

“Wanna get out of here?” Steve’s hair is doused with flecks of red, gold and blue glitter. It dots across his cheek bones, and it’s even caught in his damn eyelashes. He’s completely unaware of how he looks right now, and seeing Steve—his _boyfriend_ (and the first time he had tried the word aloud, it rolled off the tongue so sweetly and made him feel younger than he thinks he will ever deserve to feel)—covered in what they say nowadays is the herpes of craft supplies should not be as tempting of a sight as it is. 

“No,” He answers over the blaring music and tries to ignore the sheen of sweat that’s starting to coat the back of his neck, whether  it’s from the way Steve looks or because of everything else he’s not quite sure of yet. The words _I can handle this_ stay wedged in the hollows of his throat, not wanting to cause Steve concern. He’s spent too many months on the couches of S.H.I.E.L.D. appointed therapists and taking in too many of Steve’s worried looks every time he's woken up from nightmares to let one party get to him.  

Steve smiles, “I know it’s…a bit over the top—” and he motions toward the huge banner overhead proclaiming well wishes for Steve and his own birthday, “—Tony means well, though.”

They both go quiet for a moment after that. The complications between him and Howard’s son have been patched up as best as they can be for now, though the stitches on the wound feel like they could be ripped open at any second. Bucky breaks the silence by clapping a hand on Steve’s shoulder and they both watch the glitter on him burst up from the impact to vanish into the air.

“Seems like you’ve been having fun, at least,” Bucky says in what he hopes is a teasing tone, motioning towards the obstacle course of scattered women that Steve had needed to chat with to make his way through.

Steve’s eyes bug out of his head for a few seconds and Bucky chuckles as he watches him try to shake the glitter off in vain, “Well—I mean—I was just trying to be polite, nothin’ wrong with indulging the masses a little. Good for press and all of that.”

It’s true, and Steve knows that better than anyone save for Tony. This set up was more of a fanfare for the media and the American public to eat up than it was for either of them, though Bucky’s not too shook up about it. They’re both adults and understood how it all worked, making up for it with a more intimate celebration the night before surrounded by their teammates, cheap beer and real food that wasn't stuck with little fancy toothpicks.  

“You always were a sucker for a pretty face, can’t say no to one even if ya tried.” Bucky can't help needling him some more about it, taking a swing of his drink.

A shit eating grin spreads across Steve’s face, “Guess that explains why I’m a sucker for you.”

“You’re about to get _sucker punched_ if you don’t shut the hell up.” And it’s not the best comeback he’s ever made but it still makes Steve throw his head back and laugh, which sends more glitter flaring up from his head. It surrounds Steve almost like a halo, and Bucky wants to punch himself in the face for the thought because _really, Barnes?_ The self-refection is cut short when Steve gently takes him by the elbow and leads him out to the open dance floor.

By the end of the night they’ve successfully convinced a good chunk of drunken people that they fought dinosaur riding Nazis just like in the old propaganda comics, and because Steve’s secretly still a skinny little punk that can’t keep his hands to himself Bucky’s gets drenched in the damned glitter as well. It coats their bed sheets, scatters itself across the carpet, and he swears up and down he’ll be shitting the stuff out for days. When Bucky spots the first small clusters of it caught in the ridges of his metal arm two _weeks_ later he wrestles Steve to the floor and rubs the stuff all over Steve’s stupid laughing face, unable to stop from laughing along with him.

**Author's Note:**

> come cry with me about these two idiots at my [tumblr](http://buckytrashboatbarnes.tumblr.com/).


End file.
